"It is supposed that he will; and Mr. W. S. Caine, whose prediction in this matter I cannot underrate, warns Mr. Gladstone that to dissolve _again_ will bring on him redoubled failure,--an immense lessening of supporters. "The new voters, at the last election, had not had time to learn a thousand things. After such a transformation of the constituencies, I not only _expect_--I _desire_--the break-up of the Liberal Party. Little by little they have adopted the Tory idea of 'follow your leader': never think for yourself. In the Parliament, in the Newspapers, in Arguments of Foreign War, at the Hustings, they treat it as 'Treason to the Party' not to do whatever the Premier says they _must_ do, or he will resign and wreck the party.... I see only one sunbeam through the clouds ever since the fatal Egyptian war; and that is the recent Peace-Union of _Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy_. I look on it as the inauguration of the future European Confederacy which is to forbid European wars, and become a forcible mediator. Under its shelter Roumania, Servia, and Bulgaria seem likely to consolidate a union of defence; and as soon as all the Powers understand that the Triple Alliance is based on permanent interests, the Alliance will not need to keep their armaments on foot; to _train_ them, as the generations grow up, will suffice. The royalties everywhere will struggle for actual armies: the burdened peoples will murmur. "Meanwhile we need long patience, I suppose, while Irish rent wastes to smaller and smaller worth; and one new election will suddenly precipitate the struggle. _I_ do not fear that any Irish success will make Irishmen desire the burden of undertaking their own military and naval defence. "Affectionately yours, "F. W. Newman." * * * * * As regards Newman's opinions on one of the national questions which so closely concern us to-day--the Drink Traffic--they are very clearly and definitely stated in an article he wrote in the year 1877, and which appeared in _Fraser's Magazine, in re_ Sir Wilfrid Lawson's Bill. Here again decentralization was the key-note, as he firmly believed, of the remedy. "The palace-like jails which now disgrace our civilization, and cause expenses so vast, are chiefly the fruit of this pernicious trade.... What shadow of reason is there for doubting that such sales as are necessary... will be far more sagaciously managed by a Local Board which the ratepayers elect _for this sole purpose_, than either by magistrates... or by an _irresponsible_ and _multitudinous_ Committee of Parliament? Finally, a Board elected for this one duty is immeasurably better than the Town Councils, who are distracted by an immensity of other business.... "Such a Board should have full power to frame its own restrictions, so as to prevent the fraud of wine merchants or chemists degenerating into spirit shops....